Pneumatic airplane seat



Oct. 20, 1936. MANSON 2,057,687

PNEUMATIC AIRPLANE SEAT Filed Aug. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0d. 20,1936. A F, MANSON PNEUMATIC AIRPLANE SEAT 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 \MA A" ooboooo 4 HQQQQ 606% mnwrox FRANK MANSON B Y zA/EVJ' Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted underthe act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) Theinvention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for thegovernment for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

My invention relates generally to the construction of supports for theperson and more particularly to a new and novel construction ofpneumatic airplane chairs. In the past, airplane chairs have beenconstructed as simply as possible consistent with sturdiness in order tohave a seat of the least possible weight with little or no concern as tothe comfort of the passenger or his safety in case of a bad landing orcrash. Bearing in mind the features lacking in the conventional designof airplane chair and also well knowing the necessity of thecharacteristics inherent in them, I have provided a type of chairincorporating not only lightness and sturdiness but in addition theretosafety and comfort.

The main object of my invention is to provide an airplane chairconstructed of a plurality of gas-tight, non-communicating inflatablecells made from rubber inner-tubing, rubberized fabric, artificialrubber, or other similar material and filled with air or gas. With thisconstruction, the entire chair cannot accidentally collapse should onecell become punctured or, leaky. Also, according to my invention, eachcell constitutes a bracing element for the cells adjacent to it, therebyeliminating the necessity for an outside or rigid frame.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cellular structuralarrangement whereby the individual cells may be easily replaceable, aswell as means for detachably connecting the chair as a whole to thefloor, in substantially fixed relation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a chair formed of thischaracter with a fabric strip or strips for maintaining the cells inassembled relation and for reinforcing the chair as a whole. This alsoserves to make the seat more attractive to the user.

Another object of my invention is the construction of a chair for anaircraft in which the seat portion of the structure is readily andeasily adjustable to different heights. This makes the seat comfortableand at the same time permits the use of a parachute pack withoutinconvenience to the wearer.

A transport provided with a suflicient number of chairs of the abovecharacter will provide sufficient buoyancy to keep the airplane afloatin case of a forced landing of a land plane in water and in case thepontoons of a sea plane are damaged.

It is also readily apparent that when my form of chair is used in anyvehicle, particularly an airplane, and one seat is immediately rearwardof another, the forward seat will form a crash pad in case of anaccident or forced landing.

With these and other objects in view, I shall now proceed with thedescription and drawings in which like parts are referred to by likenumer- 9.15.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an airplane, partially in section,incorporating my invention.

Fig. 2 is an assembled view of my seat in perspective.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the cellular structures of thechair.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another cellular structure of the chair.

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of a pair of cellular structuresthat constitute the seat of the chair.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen how I intend to use my seat in the cabin of anairplane 2. It is also seen how, in placing one seat 3 immediatelyrearward of another seat 4, the forward seat forms a resilient pad for aperson in the rearward seat in the case of sudden stopping of airplanedue to a crash. It will also be seen that in the case of sudden verticaldescent of an airplane, especially where the plane suddenly settles tothe ground and pancakes or suddenly contacts the ground vertically,there will be suflicient shock absorbing in my type of seat to eliminateany ill effects to the persons in the aircraft due to the impact shock.

It is also apparent in Fig. 1 that by incorporating my chair in anairplane, especially in a transport, that my seats will providesufficient buoyancy to be greatly in excess of the buoyancy provided inconventional pontoons of an aircraft.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3 to 6, it will be seen that mychair is composed of a plurality of separate or individual collapsiblecellular structures A, B, C, and D. Cells A and B constitute the seatcushion proper, both being of like dimensions throughout and beingintended to be used in superposed relation with respect to one another.The total height of these cushions is to be the usual height for suchseats. In the drawings it will be seen that cells A and B have "formers5a provided in them to ,shape" the cells and keep them in a usablecondition. These formers have holes or perforations provided in them ofsufficient sizes to permit an easy flow of air therethroughrespectively.

Cell C constitutes the back portion of my chair and, as shown in thedrawings. this cell is normally in a vertical position and rests at thebottom against the back vertical walls of cells A and B. The lowerportion of this cell is of rectangular contour while the upper portionis formed to fit within an inverted Uportion of the cell D. Thethickness of this cushion is much less than cushion A and B, but issimilarly provided with formers 5a. These formers are also perforated toform a unitary structure.

Cell D, as shown in the drawing, is the frame of the chair and is ofcircular contour in cross-section. The base I of this cell issubstantially of U-shaped contour and lies fiatwise in a horizontalvertical U-shaped portion 6 in the vertical plane of the bight, or base,of the horizontal U. This .is all one cell and constitutes the frameportion of the chair, this frame portion substantially enclosing thecells A, B, and C. Cells A and B, as shown in Fig. 2, are containedbetween the horizontally disposed U-portion 1 and the inverted L-portions 8 and 9 of each side. Cushion C is substantially contained inand supports the inverted vertically disposed U-shaped portion 6 andrests upon the base of the horizontal inverted U-shaped portion 1. Theinverted- L-shaped portions form the arms of the chair 8 and the legsare formed by the base of theL as at A.

The cell D has a series of strips, as at in, ii, I la and i2, suitablyattached thereto. These strips have button fasteners or other suitablequick attaching means on them to cooperate with the front strip offabric l3 and the strip of fabric H on the sides and back. The strips l3and It being detachably connected make it easily possible to replace thediiferent cells of the seat structure. Although the strips are attachedto the framelike cell D, it is easily conceivable they might be attachedto the other cells.

Fig. 2 illustrates the chair in its assembled condition with the stripof fabric l3 attached to the strips provided on the legs 9, as describedabove, and substantially enclosing the front of the cushions A and B.This figure also shows fabric strip l4 attached to the strips providedon the base I, legs 9, and attaching strip Ha on the back of U- shapedportion 6. This fabric strip l4 surrounds the sides and back of thechair and constitutes a reinforcing member or sling for the back.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, each of the cells -A, B, Cand D have individual valves l5, l6, l1 and I8, respectively, providedfor separate inflation of each. As will also be seen in Fig. 2, thisseat has a flap l9 provided around the bottom for easy attachment to thefloor of an aircraft or other vehicle such as a train, motor bus, oreven in a home. From the foregoing description, the ease with which thecell B may be removed or deflated for the convenience of a passenger orpilot having a parachute attached to his person, is readily apparent. Itis also possible to adjust the resilience of the seat by increasing ordecreasing the amount of air put into the seat cells A and B, or byvalving the gas through valves l5 and I5. It is also readily apparentfrom the foregoing description, the ease with which my seat may berepaired, replaced or deflated and stowed away when not in use.

The in- I claim:

1. In a chair a collapsible cellular frame structure formed of fabricmaterial and having a horizontally disposed U-shaped portion, avertically disposed inverted U-shaped portion arranged in the verticalplane of the bight of said first-mentioned U-shaped portion and invertedL-shaped portions connecting the legs of the first-mentioned U-shaped'portion with the correspondingly arranged legs of the second-mentionedU-shaped portion, the upper and lower legs of said L-shaped portionserving as arm rests and legs respectively,

a back-supporting structure between said U-' shaped portions forsupporting said U-shaped portions in spaced relation and a seat arrangedbetween the inverted L-shaped portions and the back-supportingstructure.

2.- In a chair a collapsible cellular frame structure formed of fabricmaterial and having a horizontally disposed U-shaped portion, avertically disposed inverted U-shaped portion arranged in the verticalplane of the bight of said first-mentioned U-shaped portion and invertedL-shaped portions connecting the legs of the first-mentioned U-shapedportion with the correspondingly arranged legs of the second-mentionedU-shaped portion, the upper and lower legs of said L-shaped portionserving as arm rests and legs respectively, a back-supportingcollapsible cellular structure between said U-shaped portions forsupporting said U-shaped portions in spaced relation and a seat arrangedbetween the inverted L-shaped portions and the back-supportingstructure.

3. In a chair a collapsible cellular frame structure formed of fabricmaterial and having a horizontally disposed U-shaped portion,avertically disposed inverted U-shaped portion arranged in the verticalplane of the bight of said first-mentioned U-shaped portion and invertedL-shaped portions connecting the legs of the first-mentioned U- shapedportion with the correspondingly arranged legs of the second-mentionedU-shaped portion, the upper and lower legs of said L-shaped portionserving as arm rests and legs respectively, a backsupporting structurebetween said U-shaped portions for supporting said U-shaped portions inspaced relation, and a collapsible seat arranged between the invertedL-shaped portions and the back-supporting structure.

4. In a chair a collapsible cellular frame structure formed of fabricmaterial and having a horizontally disposed U-shaped portion, avertically disposed inverted u-shaped portion arranged in the verticalplane of the bight of said first-mentioned U-shaped portion and invertedL-shaped portions connecting the legs of the first-mentioned U-shapedportion with the correspondingly arranged legs of the second-mentionedU-shaped portion, the upper and lower legs of said L-shaped portionsserving as arm rests and legs respectively, a back-supporting structurebetween said U- shaped portions for supporting said U-shaped portions inspaced relation, and a plurality of separate collapsible cellularstructures arranged in superposed relation and between the inverted L-shaped "portions and the back-supporting structure to form a seatportion.

5. In a chair a collapsible cellular frame structure formed of fabricmaterial and having a horizontally disposed U-shapedportion, avertically disposed inverted U-shaped portion arranged in the verticalplane of the bight of said first-mentioned U-shaped portion and invertedL-shaped portions connecting the legs of the first-menframe portion, thefree ends of said strip being readily detachably connected to the legsof said frame portion and a collapsible seat interposed between theinverted L-shaped portions and the back-supporting structure.

6. In a chair a collapsible cellular frame structure formed of fabricmaterial and having a horizontally disposed U-shaped portion, avertically disposed inverted U-shaped portion arranged in the verticalplane of the bight of said first-m'em tioned U-shaped portion andinverted L-shaped portions connecting the legs of the first-mentionedU-shaped portion with the correspondingly arranged legs of thesecond-mentioned U-shaped portion, the upper and lower legs of said L-shaped portion serving as am rests and legs respectively, aback-supporting structure between said U-shaped portions for supportingsaid U- shaped portions in spaced relation, a reinforcing strip offlexible material surrounding and intimately engaging the back portionand the sides of said frame portion, the free ends of said strip beingreadily detachably connected to the legs of said frame portion, afurther reinforcing strip of flexible material arranged forward of saidseat and between the legs of said frame portion and readily detachablyconnected thereto and a flexible cellular seat structure interposedbetween the L-shaped portions and the back-supporting structure.

FRANK G. MANSON. 20

